1. Field
The present disclosure relates to brewing units such as those used to produce coffee, espresso, tea and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various machines for brewing beverages are known in the art. Such machines provide a single function such as providing hot water for tea, pressurized hot water that is then forced through coffee grounds for making coffee, or steam for frothing milk or making espresso. Some known machines provide a combination of two or three of these functions.
An example of a prior art brewing device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,788, to Perucca (the “788 patent”). The '788 patent discloses a coffee brewing machine having a heat exchanger for alternatively producing steam or unpressurized hot water. The machine further comprised a valve to control the flow of water and a thermostatic temperature control. However, among other missing elements, the '788 patent does not discloses a remote dispensing device for hot water, pressurized hot water, and steam. Nor does the '788 patent disclose a modular system for providing the same.
A second prior art device is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,752 to Robins et al. (the “'752 patent”). The '752 patent discloses a tea brewing and dispensing machine comprising a means for heating a non-pressurized stream of water that thereafter passes through a bed of tea leaves to produce tea. The '752 patent, however, does not disclose multiple dispensing paths, a remote dispensing unit, or a steam or pressurized water units.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,738, to Eugster (the “738 patent”), discloses a hot beverage making machine comprising a ceramic multi-way valve. The '738 patent does not disclose a modularity or a remote dispensing unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,848 to Eugster (the “'848 patent”), discloses a coffee machine having a multiple flow streams, but it does not disclose multiple removable modules or a remote dispensing unit connected to such modules.
Another prior art device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,331, to Pfeifer et al. (the “'331 patent”), discloses an espresso apparatus having a brew head in fluid communication with a heat exchanger. The '331 patent does not disclose a modular design or a remote dispensing unit.
Prior art device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,061, to Albert et al. (the “'061 patent”), discloses yet another an espresso machine; however, it too fails to disclose a remote dispensing unit or removable modular components for steam and water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,765 to Klawuhn et al. (the “'765 patent”) discloses another prior art beverage brewing apparatus having a multiway valve, but it does not disclose multiple removable modular units for steam and hot water production. Moreover, it does not disclose a remove dispensing unit for beverages.
Yet another prior art disclosure comes from U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,079, to Muller et al. (the “'079 patent”). The '079 patent discloses a steam generating device for frothing liquids but it does not disclose providing hot water, pressurized hot water, and steam from a single device or modular removable components.
Thus, although many beverage brewing devices are disclosed in the prior art, none of the prior art discloses a beverage brewing device having a modular removable unit that produce steam, hot water, and pressurized hot water, respectively.
The prior art also fails to disclose teach or suggest beverage brewing device having a remote dispensing unit, a control system for managing fluid flow rates to a steam dispensing unit, a variable pressure delivery system, or a valve actuated steam dispensing unit.